The reason why this is so dangerous is because intelligence often comes from human sources. If this intel becomes public, spies can die. What’s worse, in order to protect their spies, previously friendly nations will be forced to avoid sharing their intelligence with the United States.

Worse, Sean Hannity defended President Trump all last night and accused the Washington Post and #NeverTrumpers of spreading fake news about the President. Fox News covered for President Trump with such fury that viewers were left with no doubt that the liberal media was gunning for Trump, aiming to smear him with nasty lies.

Then this morning, Trump confirms the story, making FOX News, Sean Hannity, and everyone else who mocked the Washington Post over the last 24 hours look absolutely ridiculous.

Even worse than that?

National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster went before the media and swore that nothing happened (update – see below). He lied directly to the media and the American people and the National Security Adviser was hung out to dry by the President. Brutal!!!

The same thing happened last week during the Comey firing. First, the White House put all the blame on the Deputy Attorney General, arguing that FBI Director Comey was fired on Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein’s recommendation. Then, days later, after Rosenstein’s reputation had been ruined, the President of the United States admits he was thinking about the Russian Investigation when he fired Comey. Brutal!!!

It’s been a horrible week for the Trump Admin.

EDIT: CNN reporting that McMaster never actually denied that Trump shared classified information with the Russians – just that he didn’t compromise any on going military actions. So, maybe reports that McMaster was defending Trump were inaccurate.

UPDATE: Here are the facts as they have developed over the last 24 hours. The Washington Post published an article claiming that President Donald Trump communicated classified information to the Russians regarding ISIS, information received by US intelligence agencies from a foreign intelligence service. All last night, FOX News and the White House denied these claims. Then this morning, President Trump tweets that he communicated “facts” (information) to the Russians (as reported) about ISIS (as reported). Just a few minutes ago, National Security Adviser McMaster informed the media that President Donald Trump had no idea where the intelligence that he gave to the Russians came from. So, what are the facts? WaPo says Trump gave intel to Russia. Check. Trump and McMaster admit as much. The Intel was about ISIS. Check. WaPo and Trump agree on this issue. WaPo says that Trump gave classified intel from another country’s intel service, but McMaster says that Trump had no idea where that intelligence came from. FOX News has some explaining to do. THEN:

“It is wholly appropriate for the President to share whatever information he thinks is necessary to advance the security of the American people,” McMaster told reporters.

Not that the information wasn’t classified or that another nation wasn’t harmed, just that it’s totally cool for the President to share whatever he feels like with whomever he feels like if he feels like its in our nations best interest.

Steven Brodie Tucker graduated with a degree in the art of Philosophy from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, later studying economics and political science at George Mason. in 2017, he earned his M.A. in Public Policy Administration. Steven Brodie Tucker is a member of the Caroline County Republican Party and an activist for Constitutional and Republican principles.

According to media reports, it’s the country that gave Trump the intel reports that is claiming an aggrieved status. Nothing Trump did violated the law. He can declassify anything he wants and share it with anyone he wants. Totally his right and his call. However, when you put spies or other intel agencies at risk, that’s a whole other ball of wax.

SD

but we all know Trump did this without thinking!!! He did not declassify the data ahead of time, he simply spoke off the cuff to impress the Russians and then made up the rest

I evaluate these ‘so called’ scandals by two measures
1) Did Trump say it was fake news?
2) Has said news organization failed to pledge their undying loyalty and devotion to Trump?

If either answer is yes, I determine said scandal to be an establishment RINO orcuckstrated attack on our beloved supreme leader. #fakenews #shitposts

randy_carter

In response to Mr. Massoud’s question, the President has the absolute authority to declassify information, right on the spot. But with that awesome authority comes and equal and probably greater responsibility to exercise that absolute authority well. As to General McMaster, he parsed his words well. He stated that Trump did not reveal any sources or methods of collection. The Post article did not allege Trump revealed the source or method of collection, so on that point McMaster and the Post agree. But Trump in his attempt to show he is “one of the big boys” put human assets at risk and also put at risk future intelligence sharing with the supplying country. And done at a meeting where the American media was barred but the Russian media took all those pictures of Trump chumming it up with his buddies.. I liken this to conversations school boys have in the locker room where they attempt to “one up” the others And he acted like a adolescent here. And his response this morning was to admit giving the information and wanting to hunt the leakers down. Well, he had better start his hunt for leakers by looking in the mirror. When are Republicans going to stand up against someone who has no clue as to what he is doing and is making our world more dangerous.

Warmac9999

If facts are so important, then there is nothing in the tweets that indicate that code word intelligence information was released.

That was reported by WaPo and CNN, Trump merely confirmed that he gave the Intel in the WaPo reporting to the Russians as reported.

Warmac9999

Code Word has a very special meaning. There is a substantial difference between code word and other types of intelligence. McMaster attempted to make the distinction but obviously that blew right past the media in their reporting and, unfortunately, you picked up their misleading reporting.

By the way, I had the very highest of non-code word access. I never had code word. Hillary did distribute code word intelligence which was called special access by the left wing compliant media.

Michael Parkyn

McMaster used a narrow denial about sources and methods to claim broadly that the Washington Post article was false. However, Trump’s tweet defending his authority to release classified info contradicts McMaster’ s statement about the Post article.

Trump didn’t have to discuss sources and methods to jeopardize the security of our sources and methods. If he discussed knowledge of a specific activity in a specific city on a specific date, our adversaries (including Russia) may be able to deduce the source or method used to gain that knowledge.

I fail to recognize how telling the Russkies to watch out for laptop bombs on planes could possibly reveal sources and methods but I wasn’t in the meeting with them and don’t know how the information was disseminated. I do recognize that this is yet another hit piece by the Washington Compost, though. Get back to me with all this angst when President Trump sets up a personal email server where he transfers Top Secret/SCI information to an UNCLASSIFED and unsecured system with the help of Carlos Danger which then gets hacked by who knows how many entities. Funny, some reporters at the Compost did detail a whole lot of what the Hildebeast did with her email leakage, but it did not cause near this much hysteria. I wonder why?

Warmac9999

Exactly. Civil aviation is a worldwide business and laptop bombs exploding on modern large commercial aircraft can kill and injure hundreds of people regardless of nationality. The USA and Russia have a common interest here – and providing factual info on the size and scope of the threat to all civil aviation is prudent and necessary.

Hillary should be investigated and indicted for her acknowledged and deliberate misuse of national secrets. Who knows how many died or were compromised by her pay for play Clinton Foundation con.

getyourfactsstraight

Who knows how many. . .? we all know – none

Warmac9999

Benghazi!? Seth rich!? And we don’t all know any such thing as the facts of the investigation have not been revealed or pursued. I want a Russia investigation to pursue both Trump and Hillary. The investigative and intelligence swamps need to be drained.

SD

still no connection to the Clinton Foundation which has done tremendous work to improve lives around the world – you might not like Clinton but the foundation is outstanding

Warmac9999

Check the recent Bangladesh complaint or, for that matter, the economic abuse of Haiti.

Michael Parkyn

McMaster went on live tv an hour ago. He doubled down, saying Trump wasn’t briefed on sources or methods. Which means that at a minimum, White House staff handled SCI information irresponsibly. Which is ironic, considering Trump’s campaign trail assertion, “We can’t have someone in the Oval Office who doesn’t understand the meaning of the word confidential or classified.”

Chris k

You can’t trust a teenage girl or Trump not to tell their BFF a secret.

James Simpson

He did NOT share codeword! Get your facts straight.

Michael Parkyn

H.R. McMaster denied that the president discussed sources or methods. He didn’t deny the president discussed classified information, nor did Spicer. Nobody discussed whether or not the president named the “codeword” for the program under which the intelligence was obtained.
That doesn’t matter. Some programs contain information of such a unique nature that the source/method can be deduced. That’s what Steven alludes to in his reference to codeword.

mezurak

If all this stuff that Trump told the russians is so secret even those who were at the meeting held their fingers in their ears and stared at the ceiling, how is it that the MSM knows all the f’n gory details right down to the minute the information was collected and how many ants were crossing the sidewalk under the source’s feet? There needs to be an investigation all right… of the MSM who got info even the president isn’t on the access list to see.